The US Division of Justice has revealed that the current takedown of the BlackSuit ransomware gang’s servers, domains, and darkish internet extortion website, additionally noticed the seizure of US $1,091,453 price of cryptocurrency.
The DOJ’s press launch describes how regulation enforcement companies world wide – together with the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Eire, and France – joined forces in an operation to grab 4 servers and 9 domains related to the gang behind the BlackSuit ransomware on July 24.
Final 12 months, a joint advisory issued by CISA and the FBI warned organisations that the BlackSuit ransomware gang had demanded greater than half a billion {dollars} from its victims in lower than two years – after encrypting programs and threatening to launch information on the darkish internet if cost was not made.
A BlackSuit ransomware assault typically culminates in a requirement for between roughly a million to 10 million {dollars}, with cost requested in Bitcoin. The most important identified particular person ransom demand was for an eye-watering US $60 million.
In its press launch, the US Division of Justice shared some particulars of the way it had managed to grab US $1,091,453 price of cryptocurrency extorted from a ransomware sufferer.
It explains that on or about April 4, 2023, a sufferer paid 49.3120227 Bitcoin after having their knowledge encrypted by a ransomware assault. On the time of the transaction, the cost was price US $1,445,454.86. A portion of these proceeds (US $1,091,453) was, based on the DOJ, repeatedly deposited and withdrawn right into a cryptocurrency alternate account till the funds have been frozen by the alternate in January 2024.
After all, it is easy to think about the seizure of simply over US $1 million price of cryptocurrency a drop within the ocean in comparison with the riches made by the cybercriminals.
Nonetheless, investigations into the actions of the BlackSuit ransomware gang will probably be welcomed by the greater than 450 identified victims in the USA alone, who embody organisations within the healthcare, schooling, public security, vitality and authorities sectors.
The BlackSuit felony operation first emerged in Could 2023, and has robust hyperlinks to the Royal ransomware gang that launched assaults on US healthcare, and which itself was born out of the stays of the infamous Russian Conti group.
As we defined final month, Bitdefender assisted the multi-national operation to disrupt the actions of the ransomware group, as a part of its ongoing dedication to preventing cybercrime – the place it assists regulation enforcement, displays the darkish internet, and develops ransomware decryptors.
If you have not carried out so already, you need to actually take a look at “Cybercrime: From the Frontline” – Bitdefender’s video podcast sequence which brings knowledgeable insights into the most recent cyber threats.
